First Day Back
by LiveLaughLove728
Summary: Percy visits Camp Half Blood for the first time since Tartarus.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! This is a one-shot about Percy's first day back at camp after Tartarus. It goes along with chapter five of my other story, Long Road Ahead. You could read this without reading that first, but it would make much more sense to read LRA first. **

**As of right now, this is a one-shot, but I could turn it into a two-shot to show the next day too. Let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

Everything just seemed better in the water.

Percy walked out of the ocean, perfectly dry, and started walking up the beach, and to Camp Half-Blood. Blackjack had dropped him off at the ocean's edge around 3am, but sleep was simply not an option without Annabeth, so Percy had been underwater for the past few hours. The ocean was one of the only two places Percy could find any semblance of peace anymore, the other, being having Annabeth in his arms.

The sun had risen about an hour ago, and Percy assumed that it was now around seven in the morning, and campers would start getting up soon. He made his way to his cabin, and got himself showered, dressed, and as presentable as possible. All that considered, Percy looked rather bad, his lack of sleep showing, but compared to how he'd looked a few months ago, this was nothing.

He decided to head over to the Big House, and let Chiron know he was here. He left his cabin, and made his way through camp, trying to look as much his old self as possible. Few people were awake and about at this time of the morning, but the few who were seemed surprised at Percy's presence. They would look at him suspiciously for a few seconds before Percy would wave and try for a smile, and they would be forced to return the gesture. If Percy had been close to these people, this probably would have bothered him more, but the campers he saw were mostly newcomers, having been there less than a year, and Percy had been away for most of said year.

Percy climbed the few steps leading to the Big House porch and approached the door. Just as he was about to knock, the door was answered by Chiron, himself. The centaur seemed surprised at first, having not expecting Percy to be on the other side of the door, especially at 7:30 in the morning.

"Oh, Percy," Chiron greeted him, "Hello."

"Hey, Chiron," Percy replied.

"What can I do for you? I must say, I wasn't aware you were here or even expecting you to be, frankly," Chiron told him.

"Well, Annabeth's in San Francisco for a few days, so I figured I'd visit camp…" Percy explained awkwardly. The centaur seemed to grasp the meaning of Percy's words, and nodded understandingly.

"Well, my boy, I must say, I'm glad to see you."

Percy nodded. "I, uh, just wanted to let you know I was here…" he trailed of awkwardly.

Chiron gave a dry smile, and nodded. "I will see you at breakfast, Percy."

* * *

Percy walked around camp for a while. He thought about heading to the arena, but he didn't want to get sweaty and gross before breakfast. Just as he was considering heading back to the beach, an ecstatic bleat broke the morning quiet.

"Perrrrcy!" was all Percy heard, before being nearly knocked down by someone. Percy's first, and newly acquired, instinct was to defend himself against the bear hug he was receiving, but he quickly realized that that bleat could only come from a satyr, and the only satyr who would care enough to give him such a bear, or rather _goat_, hug was-

"Grover. Hey man!" Percy was actually really happy to see his friend, whom he hadn't seen for over a year, and really had missed, when he thought about it.

Grover pulled away, and Percy could see that he really didn't look much different from the last time he saw him. He was maybe an inch taller, and his hair was longer, but Grover looked very much the same as he had a year ago.

"Perrrrcy," Grover bleated again, calmer this time, "Where've you been?"

"Well, G-man, where to begin… spent some time in California at Camp Jupiter," Percy counted each place on his fingers, "then had to rescue Thanatos in Alaska, back to Cali, then, with the seven, to Kansas, Georgia, Rome-"

"Okay!" Grover interrupted, "I get it! I just missed you Perce. Practically scared the horns off me when you disappeared and the empathy link didn't work. Eight months, Percy! Eight months, and no communication, whatsoev-"

"Hey! G-man, I was either put to sleep, thanks to Hera, had no memory, or on a crazy dangerous quest, and/or fighting for my life the whole time! Cut me some slack."

"I know, I know, but that's no excuse!" Grover insisted, trying to sound patronizing, but he was smiling the whole time.

Percy was saved by the bell, well, the breakfast horn, anyway. He and Grover walked to the dining pavilion. Percy got his pancakes, sacrificed some of it to Poseidon, and sat down at the Poseidon table. He received some strange looks from some people, and worried ones from others, which would have made breakfast long and awkward, had Grover not joined Percy a minute later.

"So, Perce," began Grover, ever the talker, "How've you been? How's Annabeth, wait, _where's _Annabeth?" He suddenly looked anxious. "Is she-"

"She's fine, Grover, well, I mean, about as fine as I am, at least. She's in San Francisco for a few days. That's why I'm here…" Percy trailed off, hoping Grover would understand the way Chiron had, but, of course, no such luck. Grover looked slightly confused, but he could read Percy's emotions, and apparently decided not to push the issue.

"And how are you?" Grover asked.

Percy took a deep breath, pausing before answering, "I'm... okay." Grover arched an eyebrow. Percy continued, "I'm handling it, I'm fine." Grover seemed to understand that Percy didn't want to talk about it, and changed the subject.

* * *

After breakfast, Percy decided to head to the arena and practice with Riptide. He hadn't actually trained with the blade since he and Jason had sparred one night on the Argo II. Percy did some basic techniques and disemboweled a few practice dummies, before having to break. It wasn't so much that he was tired, but the last time he'd used Riptide was back in… _there, _and the memories had started to overwhelm him. So, Percy sat on the bottom bleacher, trying to calm down and avoid a full-fledged panic attack.

When he'd managed to calm down enough, Percy tried again, and was successful in training for another thirty minutes.

"Oh, look. Prissy's back," came a voice that could only be Clarisse, from the entrance to the arena, but her voice didn't have the usual edge to it that it usually had when she spoke to Percy. It seemed softer, warmer, more compassionate, even.

Percy turned toward her voice, and nodded to his friend. Yes friend. After the Titan war, it had been decided that he and Clarisse were actually friends, but if Percy told a soul, he was a dead man.

"How's it going?" Clarisse asked. Percy held back a sigh. He was getting tired of that question, no matter how it was phrased. He settled on shrugging instead.

"It's going," he replied dryly. Clarisse nodded. Percy was glad she didn't feel the need to ask more questions, but simply settled on asking if he wanted to spar. "You're on," he told her.

After another half hour straight of sparring, the fight was still going strong. It seemed like it would tie. Percy knew that before the quest to stop Gaea, he could have beaten Clarisse much easier, but the last few months had worn him down. Finally, with both heroes out of breath and sweaty, Percy tried the disarming technique Luke had taught him all those years ago. Clarisse's sword clattered to the ground.

Percy grinned triumphantly. Clarisse sneered at him, but in the end, she couldn't help grinning back.

* * *

Percy decided to head to the showers after leaving the arena. Lunch wasn't for another hour, but he didn't feel like training anymore at the moment. Most of his friends were at home for the school year, and the few, who were here, were nowhere to be seen at the moment, but Percy didn't mind this. He really only wanted to talk to one person, and she was in California. Percy entered his cabin and checked the time,_ 11:24._ That meant it would be _8:24_ in San Francisco. Percy would've contacted her earlier, he knew Annabeth wouldn't have slept last night either, but he figured her parents wouldn't appreciate her talking to him at some ungodly hour of the morning. He couldn't wait anymore.

Tyson had, somehow, managed to fix the salt water fountain, which Percy had run through with Riptide the night before their quest into the Labyrinth, and it now looked like new, sitting in the corner of the cabin. The light streaming through the open window was creating a rainbow in the fountain's mist. Percy fished a drachma from his pocket, and was about to use the old incantation to Iris, when he remembered his visit to ROFL with Frank and Hazel. Fleecy had given them a new, and in Percy's opinion, rather stupid, direct line to use for Iris Messaging.

"O Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Annabeth Chase in San Francisco," Percy said. He tossed the drachma into the rainbow, and it disappeared. The mist shimmered, and Percy was able to see Annabeth, sitting outside, maybe on a porch, eyes closed, head in hands, much the same way Percy had been when Paul had found him the night before. "Annabeth," Percy called gently. Annabeth's head snapped up. She saw the IM and gave a half hearted smile.

"Hi, Percy," she greeted. She looked about as good as Percy did, which was to say, not great, but Percy thought she looked beautiful.

"How are you holding up?" Percy asked her. Annabeth sighed.

"Not great, to be honest. I… I can't sleep without you. The nightmares…" she trailed off, shuddering.

"I know, believe me." Annabeth looked at Percy sadly for a minute, before seeming to realize that Percy's surroundings were different than those of his New York apartment.

"Percy, are you at camp?" Percy nodded.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep, and I needed to get my mind off of… you know, so I called Blackjack."

Annabeth nodded thoughtfully. "And how is it?" she asked after a minute.

Percy shrugged. "It's quiet. Mostly everyone's at home for the year, but Grover sure was excited."

Their conversation lasted another half hour, until the conch horn sounded for lunch, and Annabeth had to go eat breakfast.

"I gotta go, Annabeth. Lunchtime. I'll talk to you later, I promise."

"Yeah, so do I…"after a beat of silence, she continued, "I miss you Percy."

"I miss you too. I love you."

"I love you too. Say hi to everyone for me."

"Will do," Percy replied, smiling, "Bye."

"Bye, Seaweed Brain." Annabeth swiped her hand through the mist, and the message cut off.

* * *

Percy walked to the dining pavilion, a smile on his face. He received more waves and smiles from people, but this time, they looked more genuine. He figured they had seen him when they'd returned from Greece, and had been worried about him, and rightfully so. Percy was their leader, the one they looked up to, and seeing him broken down like that had to have scared them pretty bad. His thoughts were interrupted by a kid with elfish features and curly brown hair walking up beside him.

"Hey, Percy! Didn't know you were here!" Leo, ever the hyperactive demigod, exclaimed rather loudly.

"Hey, man. Yeah, I got here early this morning," Percy replied.

"That's cool. Hey, where's Annabeth?" Leo asked, looking behind Percy, as if he might have missed her.

"San Francisco," Percy answered, "Visiting her family for a few days."

"Oh. So, how ya been?" Percy knew what he meant. Even Leo understood how serious the situation had been with him and Annabeth. The fact the he wasn't making some joke about them being separated showed that fact. Leo was genuinely concerned.

Percy took a deep breath, trying to formulate an answer. The other campers may have seen him when he got back from the quest, but Leo had seen him drag himself and Annabeth out of _there_, and the generic answers probably wouldn't cut it with him. "It's getting better," Percy answered honestly. Leo was a jokester, but he could be serious when he needed to be, and right now he was. He nodded understandingly.

Leo, thankfully, changed the subject as they entered the dining pavilion together. Percy sacrificed some of his food to Poseidon, and sat down to eat. Grover was off with Juniper somewhere, so Percy sat alone at the Poseidon table.

* * *

After lunch, Percy walked down to the beach. He stood in the sand, the waves running over his bare feet from time to time, sending strength surging through him. He stared out at the open sea. He wasn't really sure why he was there, but it was a beautiful day, and the sun glinted off the water, turning it a beautiful sea green. No one else was there, being it was late November, and the water was too cold to swim in, unless, of course, you were the son of the sea god. The beach was peaceful, and it gave Percy a clear mind.

He stood there, taking it all in, when he heard, "PERCY!" He turned, to see Thalia, running toward him at full speed, wearing her hunters' garb, smiling like crazy. Percy smiled back. He hadn't seen her since before being kidnapped by a certain goddess. Thalia reached him, and gave him the biggest flying tackle hug, Percy had ever had the pleasure to behold. Her momentum almost knocked him down, but he managed to only stumble a few steps on the uneven sand, before regaining his footing.

Thalia pulled away, and her smile turned into a glare. "Percy Jackson, you are such an _idiot_! Do you have any idea how worried we all were? We thought you were dead! We spent months searching for you, and you didn't even have the decency to call! Then, I find out that you-"

"Thalia!" Percy interrupted, smiling widely, "It's good to see you too." He hugged her again. "What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area, and decided to stop by and wring my kelp head of a cousin's neck for disappearing and almost dying!"

Percy chuckled at Thalia's antics, but responded coolly, "Yeah, well, I broke my record."

"Your record?"

"Of how close I've come to dying and still surviving." Thalia snorted, but smiled.

"Well, don't break it next time," she replied. Percy laughed but was glad when Thalia changed the subject. They were getting dangerously close to a topic that Percy couldn't talk about. Not yet, at least. "Where's Annabeth? Don't you two, like, go everywhere together?"

"She's visiting her family in San Francisco for a few days."

"Oh, that's cool, I guess. How's that been?"

Percy didn't feel like lying. "Difficult," he answered. Thalia nodded, understandingly.

"So how long are you staying?" she asked.

"Probably until sometime tomorrow. You?"

She shrugged. "I'll probably leave after the campfire tonight. The girls are camped nearby. We're heading out at midnight."

Percy nodded. He was about to reply, when he was interrupted.

"Percy!" Grover yelled, as he trotted over to them, "Oh, hi, Thalia!"

"Hey, Goat Boy, Thalia responded, giving Grover a hug. He seemed to forget that he had a purpose for tracking down his friend.

"Uh, did you need something, Grover?" Percy asked.

"Oh, yeah! Chiron wants to see you. He told me to find you," Grover answered.

"Alright, thanks, G-man. See you guys later," Percy said, and began making his way over to the Big House.

* * *

He found Chiron on the porch, playing pinochle with Mr. D. The centaur had his back to Percy, and didn't notice him, but Mr. D did.

"Oh, look. The celebrity is back. What do you want?" the god asked, bored. Chiron turned to see who Mr. D was talking to.

"Ah, Percy, there you are." He said, smiling kindly.

"You wanted to see me, Chiron?" Percy asked.

"Yes. I was wondering if you were available to teach Chris Rodriguez's sword class today. Something has come up, and he is unable to make it. He had asked me to find a substitute."

Percy blinked. "You want me?" he asked incredulously. He'd figured he was the last person Chiron would ask for something like this, given the state in which he was in the last time he was at camp.

"Yes, if you are willing, my boy."

"Why?" Percy asked.

"Is it not true that you are the best swordsman in the last three hundred years?" Chiron asked, innocently.

"Um, I don't know-"

"Ha!" Mr. D interrupted. "I win!" Chiron redirected his attention to the card game, before placing down his hand.

"No, Mr. D, I'm afraid I do," the centaur replied smugly. Dionysus looked at the cards, disbelieving, before cursing in Ancient Greek, and storming inside the Big House. Chiron looked back to Percy. "Now," he said, "Where were we?"

Percy hesitated, "Chiron, are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Well, the last time I was here, we, I wasn't exactly… stable," Percy replied, studying the deck below him with great interest. The last time he was there, was when the Romans were attacking. The peace was made, but Percy and Annabeth were anything but stable. Tartarus had taken it's toll on them. Most of the time they were there, they spent it in bed, too weak to move, overwhelmed by nightmares and hallucinations.

"And how are you now?" Chiron asked.

"Um, well… better, I guess."

"Then I see no reason why you shouldn't be trusted with the sword class." Standing there, talking to Chiron, Percy realized something. Chiron believed in him, even after everything he'd been through and the terrible state he'd been in a few months ago. It didn't matter what the other campers said or thought. Chiron didn't see Percy any different now, than he did a year ago, except maybe as more experienced, and even more of a hero. Percy realized, a smile slowly spreading across his face, that standing there, talking to Chiron, made this trip to camp worth it. Percy was still Percy, no matter what, and only he had the right to change that. No person, no monster, no Titan, no giant, and definitely not Tartarus, had that right.

Chiron noticed Percy's change in demeanor, and he gave a small smile. "So, what do you say, my boy? Will you do it?"

Percy looked up at his teacher and smiled. "Yeah… Yeah, Chiron, I will." The old centaur smiled and put a hand on Percy's shoulder.

"Very good. The class is in half an hour. Chris said to teach them whatever you feel is best. Go, Percy, and know that I'm proud of you."

Percy smiled again. "Thanks, Chiron." He walked down the steps of the Big House, feeling better than he had in a long time.

* * *

Percy walked into the arena, and finished strapping on his armor. He stood in front of the group of young campers, who stared at him curiously.

"Um, hi, everyone," Percy began awkwardly, "I'm your sword instructor for today. My name's Per-"

"Percy Jackson!" someone interrupted.

"Son of Poseidon!" said another. Suddenly, the arena was full of voices.

"Hero of Olympus!

"Twice!"

"You're my hero!"

"Dude, You're awesome!"

"He went fell into Tartarus and survived!" Percy winced at that one.

"Best sword fighter in three hundred years!"

"Okay!" Percy yelled, "Okay, good… HEY! EVERYBODY QUIET DOWN!"

Silence.

"Thank you!" Percy said," Alright, I'm gonna show you guys a few tricks today." Percy demonstrated a basic defensive order of strikes and parries, and ending it in a disarming technique. "Any questions?" About twenty hands went up. Percy pointed to a Hispanic kid, about eleven years old.

"Are you still dating Annabeth Chase?"

"Um, yes, but-"

"Isn't she a daughter of Athena?" someone interrupted.

"How did Athena not kill you yet?" another countered.

"Have you ever been to Olympus?"

"How many times have you almost died?

"Have you ever-"

"ENOUGH!" Percy yelled. The campers quieted down again. Percy took a deep breath. "Does anyone have any questions _about the technique?_"

Percy answered a few questions about how to hold the sword and where to aim, before dividing the campers into pairs and having them practice together. The rest of the class passed rather smoothly, and soon, it was over.

"Okay, good job, guys! Dinner is in about an hour. Leave all practice swords and armor in the bins by the door, and go hit the showers. A few kids started to make their way toward the exit, but stopped when they saw that most of the class was still in their places, not moving. Percy furrowed his brow.

"You can go now," he told the class. A hand went up.

"You never answered any of our questions," a girl, about thirteen complained.

Percy sighed, realizing that he wasn't going to be getting out of there yet. "Fine. You have five minutes. One at a time."

Every hand went up.

"What was your first monster?" a skinny blonde kid asked. Percy didn't have to answer, because half the class did for him. He couldn't decide if he was honored or scared that they knew so much about him. What else did they know? He pointed to another camper, a boy with brown hair and blue eyes.

"You never answered. Are you still dating Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena?" No one answered. Percy prayed to the gods to make these five minutes pass faster.

"Yes," Percy answered with a sigh, "And before you ask how I'm still alive, dating a daughter of Athena, I have no idea."

Another hand, "Do you kiss her a lot?" Oh, gods…

"Um… "

"Do you fight a lot of monsters with her?" Percy was never so happy to be interrupted.

"Yeah. I've fought a lot of monsters with her in the past," he answered. There had been a surprising lack of monsters attacking over the last few months, but hey, Percy wasn't complaining.

"Can you really control water?" another kid asked.

"Yes."

"Show us!" about ten campers shouted at once.

"Um…" Percy sighed, closing his eyes. He held up his hand, and the water cooler emptied itself, but he carried the water over toward him. Percy willed the water to circle around him, almost like it did when he summoned a mini hurricane, but much slower. The kids' mouths hung open. Percy put the water back inside the cooler.

One camper, who seemed to get over his shock faster than everyone else, called, "Have you ever been to Olympus?"

"Yeah," Percy answered, "A few times, but your five minutes is up. No more questions."

"AWWWWW," echoed the class.

"Go shower and get ready for dinner," Percy told them. The campers started filing out of the arena. Percy followed them out, and walked to his cabin, to put his armor away.

"Show off," said a voice behind him. Percy turned to see a grinning Thalia walking after him. "You're like a celebrity."

Percy shrugged, also smiling.

"But some of those questions were _funny,_ oh my gods."

Percy laughed. "How much did you hear?" he asked.

"Well, I watched the whole class. I was in the way back, though. You didn't notice me."

"Oh, great."

"Yes. I enjoyed myself. You're a good teacher though."

"Thanks, Thals.

* * *

Once Percy was showered, he went back to his cabin. He was thinking about IMing his mom before dinner, when something crashed behind him. Percy had his sword drawn before he could even process what was going on. Tartarus had made his reflexes even better, if that was possible.

The crash turned out to be Nico di Angelo. He'd shadow traveled into Percy's cabin, and had knocked into a dresser, knocking it over. Nico looked confused for a second, before noticing Percy. He looked from his cousin, to the toppled dresser, and back again.

"Uh," Percy began, "Hey, Nico."

"Hey, Percy. Sorry about this. I was trying to get to my cabin. Shadow traveling can be inaccurate sometimes. Percy nodded slowly and looked at the mess on the floor. Nico seemed to register his mistake for the first time. "Oh, hey, sorry about that. I'll clean it up." He said, bending down and picking up clothes that had fallen out. No one used that dresser, but there were a few camp T-shirts inside. Percy helped Nico right the dresser. The dinner horn sounded right when they closed the last drawer.

"Good timing," Nico said. Percy eyed him. The son of Hades didn't look much different than he had a few months ago. Percy turned and started walking toward the door. Nico followed him.

"So, what are you doing here?" Nico asked Percy.

"I could ask you the same thing," Percy replied.

"Came for dinner," Nico explained, shrugging.

Percy nodded. "Annabeth is in San Francisco for a few days, and I needed to get my mind off of… everything." Nico nodded. He was the only other person who really had any idea what Percy and Annabeth had been through in Tartarus. Percy had worried about him when he'd gotten out. At least he'd had Annabeth. Nico had no one. Well, he'd had Hazel, his sister, but, Percy supposed, it wasn't the same.

"So, how have you and Annabeth been?" Nico asked cautiously, like he was afraid Percy would fall into a flashback and become a screaming lunatic.

"It's getting better," Percy told him.

Nico nodded. "Good."

* * *

Before the campfire, Percy went to his cabin and IMed Sally, who was glad to hear he was okay, but used to him leaving at all hours of the day and night. When he'd finished with his mom, Percy Iris Messaged Annabeth. She was sitting in the living room, reading a book, or, at least, trying to. Her nine year old brothers sat on the other couch, playing video games rather loudly. Thankfully, Annabeth noticed the IM. She smiled at Percy and shushed her brothers, who ignored her, too absorbed in their game to listen. They hadn't even noticed the message.

"Hi, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said.

Percy and Annabeth talked for a few minutes, practically yelling over all the noise, in order to be heard. Finally, Percy told her that he'd IM her later, when it was quieter.

"Okay. Talk to you soon. Love you." Annabeth answered.

"Okay. Love you too. Bye!" Percy swiped his hand through the Iris Message, and made his way to the campfire.

* * *

They did all the usual camp numbers, which somehow never seemed to sound better, but Percy didn't mind. He sat next to Thalia and Grover. Nico had left after dinner. When the fire was dwindling, and the s'mores eaten, the campers started making their way back to their cabins. Percy soon followed suit, dodging a few questions from the kids from his sword class along the way.

* * *

Percy IMed Annabeth again. Thankfully, she was alone this time. They talked for about an hour, exchanging stories from their day. When the conversation trailed off, Annabeth sighed.

"I really miss you, Percy," she said.

"I miss you too. Camp's not the same without you," Percy replied.

"You're not going to sleep tonight are you?" she asked.

"Probably not. Neither are you."

Annabeth sighed. "It's just, no matter how good the day is, everything goes bad at night. Especially when you're not here. I'm scared to even close my eyes without you."

Percy sighed too. "I know. Just a few more days."

"Yeah, and, not counting this one, one more night, Percy. I don't know if I'll make it."

"You will, Annabeth. You're strong."

She sighed. "I love you, Percy. I'd sit and talk to you all night, but my stepmom's calling for dinner."

"I love you too, Annabeth," Percy replied, "IM me tonight if you need to. I'll be here."

"I know. Bye, Seaweed Brain."

"Bye," Percy replied, smiling. Annabeth swiped her hand through the mist, and the IM disappeared. He sat down on his bed, deciding what to do. He could try to sleep. He really was tired, but he knew that he'd be plagued by nightmares. He didn't want to end up screaming his head off and waking the whole camp, just when they were starting to treat him normally again. Percy decided that he'd just stay awake. Maybe he'd head over to the beach again.

Percy stood up and walked over to his window. He stared out it, at the view of Long Island Sound. He stood there, letting his mind wander. The cabin was quiet, except for the peaceful gurgle of the salt water fountain. After a few minutes, Percy realized something: he was bored.

Honestly, he shouldn't have been surprised. He was an ADHD son of Poseidon, who'd been to hell and back. He wasn't supposed to be able to sit around and do nothing. It wasn't in his nature. Spending another night under the ocean was sounding better and better, but something held him back. Annabeth. He'd told her to call him if she needed him. What if she did? Sound didn't travel well underwater. If she IMed him while he was down there, would she be able to hear him?

After another few minutes, Percy decided he needed to do something, anything. He looked around the cabin. It was really clean, considering Percy was the one staying in it. Tyson had cleaned it up the last time he'd stayed there, which had been for a few days over the summer, when the Seven had been on their quest to stop Gaea. Percy had stayed in the infirmary when he'd gotten back, and he'd been staying at home in Manhattan ever since. The only mess was from today: dirty clothes from this morning and armor spread across the floor. Percy cleaned it up in less than five minutes, and was bored again. He sighed and threw himself down on his bed, exasperated. The beach was looking better and better…

* * *

It had been maybe an hour...

Just as Percy sat up, ready to wander around camp, and hopefully avoid being eaten by Harpies, the air in front of him shimmered, an Iris Message. Percy smiled at Annabeth. It looked like she was in a bathroom. She'd apparently made a rainbow in the mist from a shower.

Percy talked to Annabeth all night. Most of the time, their conversation had no real subject, but it was just nice to see her and hear her laugh. The next thing Percy knew, his alarm clock read, _7:18am_. Breakfast was in less than an hour. He and Annabeth had made it through their second night apart, and who knew, maybe the third night would be survivable too.

* * *

**There! What'd ya think?  
**

**Please review, and let me know if you liked it or not, and also if you want me to turn this into a two-shot.**

**If you haven't already, check out my other story, Long Road Ahead. This one-shot was based off of chapter five of that story.**

**Thanks for reading! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, you guys convinced me to make it a two- shot! Here it is. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians.**

* * *

After his night-long conversation with Annabeth, Percy was in a pretty good mood. He'd gotten himself showered, dressed, and ready for the day and finished just as the breakfast horn sounded. Percy left his cabin, and made his way to the dining pavilion. He sacrificed some of his fruit loops to Poseidon, and sat down at his table.

A minute later, Chiron stomped his hoof on the floor, calling for attention. "Good morning, heroes!" he greeted. "Tonight, there will be a game of Capture the Flag after dinner. Cabin six currently holds the laurels." The Athena cabin started cheering, while the Ares kids sneered and called insults over to them. Chiron stomped again, calling for quiet. "That is all for this morning. Everyone, have a good day. To the gods!" He was met with the resounding "To the gods!" of all the campers, and everyone began eating.

Part of Percy was a little lonely. Even after he'd made the gods promise to claim all of their demigod children last summer, no siblings had shown up for him yet. He wasn't sure if he was happy about this or not. Percy's thoughts were interrupted when someone sat down across from him. Percy looked up to see Grover, who was eyeing him strangely.

"Hey," Percy greeted him.

"Percy," Grover replied, "You look exhausted." Was his lack of sleep really that obvious? Percy had hoped a smile would cover up the bags underneath his drooping eyes. Apparently it wasn't that simple. Percy didn't respond, so Grover continued. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Percy answered simply. His good mood was deteriorating rapidly. Grover could read his emotions, and apparently did, because he changed the subject.

"So," he said, "I heard you taught Chris's sword class yesterday. How did that go?" He sounded a little wistful. Despite himself, Percy had to laugh.

"Gods, Grover. They think I'm some kind of superstar." Percy told him about his experience teaching the younger campers and their many questions for the rest of breakfast. Grover laughed along with him.

* * *

"So, Mr. Lord of the Wild," Percy began, as they walked out of the dining pavilion, "How come you're here at camp, and not out saving the world?" Grover chuckled.

"Saving the world is your job. I just save nature. It's less dangerous… most of the time." Percy laughed. "But I'm spending the week here. Visiting Juniper, you know? And, I must have pretty good timing; because it just happened to be the week you decided to show up in months too." Percy smiled and nodded.

"Well, hey," Percy said, "I'll catch up with you later, man. I'm gonna go train for a while."

"Okay. See you later, Percy." They parted ways.

* * *

"Hey, Percy!" Percy heard, as he walked toward the arena. He turned to see Chris Rodriguez running over to him.

"Hey," Percy greeted him with a smile.

"Thanks for covering for me yesterday," Chris said, "How'd it go?"

"It was good. I actually had fun, but, gods, they treat me like I'm some sort of celebrity or something," Percy answered with a laugh.

Chris chuckled. "Trust me, man, to them, you pretty much are."

"Yeah, I've noticed."

"So, I actually had a question for you," Chris told him.

"Yeah?"

"How long are you here for?"

Percy shrugged. "I don't know. Probably until tomorrow. Why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to help teach today. It's hard to demonstrate moves on campers who have no idea what they're doing. Normally, I'd use another counselor, but most of them are at home right now, so I was wondering if I could demonstrate on you. Or, you could demonstrate on me. Or-"

"Chris," Percy interrupted, trying not to laugh, "Yeah, sure. I'll help you out. No problem."

Chris smiled. He looked kind of relieved. "Thanks, man."

Percy walked into the arena, smirking. He went to work, warming up on a few practice dummies, before he was interrupted by a familiar voice that seemed out of place.

"Hey, Percy."

He turned to see a smirking Jason Grace, clad in a purple Camp Jupiter T-shirt, and a pair of jeans, with his golden sword sheathed at his side. Percy stared at him curiously.

"Hey, Jason. What brings you here?" he asked. Jason shrugged.

"I had some business to attend to nearby, and I heard you were here. I figured I'd come and say hi." Percy knew that by "say hi," Jason really meant "see how you were holding up," but Percy didn't care. He and Jason had become pretty good friends on the quest, and he hadn't seen him since the Romans had headed back to California after the war.

"Hi," Percy said, grinning. "Good to see you. I need a practice partner. Care to spar?" Jason seemed taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered and shrugged, grinning.

"You're on."

Percy enjoyed sparring with Jason. He knew he was considered to be one of the best, if not _the_ best swordsman in the last three hundred years. He didn't know if that was true or not, nor did he care. He certainly didn't brag about it, but he was definitely better than most at camp. The only people who even stood half a chance against him were Clarisse, if she was lucky, and Annabeth, because she knew how he fought. Anyone else, Percy didn't even have to try.

That wasn't the case with Jason. Percy wasn't as familiar with Roman style fighting, as he was with Greek. The technique was totally different, and, though he had learned a small bit of it during his short stay at Camp Jupiter, he wasn't very in tune with it. Fighting Jason, Percy was pretty evenly matched.

They fought lightly for a few minutes, warming up and getting a feel for each other. Then, things started getting more intense. Both boys' faces became hard with concentration, sweat beading on their foreheads. Percy found his rhythm quickly, and the fight became a repeated dance in his head. Block. Stab. Slash. Parry.

The fight continued on for a few more minutes. Percy noticed a crowd gathering. Word must have spread throughout camp, and, apparently, everyone wanted to watch. Percy ignored all of it. The only thing he was aware of was Jason's sword. Block. Stab. Slash. Parry.

The fight ended finally, with Percy holding Riptide half an inch from Jason's neck, while Jason held his sword half an inch from Percy's. The arena was silent. No one said anything, and yet, Percy was aware of everything. Slowly, a smile spread across Jason's face, as did, Percy's. Suddenly, everyone in the arena burst into cheering and applause. The demigods lowered their swords.

"I believe it's a draw," Percy said.

Jason grinned. "You just wait, Jackson."

"Until then, Grace."

* * *

"So, how long are you staying?" Percy asked Jason, as they made their way to the showers.

"I'll probably head back after lunch," Jason replied.

"Huh, too bad. There's Capture the Flag tonight." Jason's eyes lit up.

"Well, in that case, I guess I could stick around for a while." Percy laughed.

"I thought so," Percy said lightly. Jason laughed too. "So how's Piper?" Percy asked.

"She's good. Things are easier, now that her dad knows the truth." Percy nodded.

"What about you?" Jason asked, "How's Annabeth?"

"She's good, considering. She's spending a few days in San Francisco, visiting her family." Jason nodded, like he understood. Percy found talking to the others from the quest easier than other campers. They didn't require explanation. They'd seen Percy at his absolute worst, straight out of hell, and they understood. "You know, Thalia stopped by yesterday. You missed her." Percy said, changing the subject.

"Really?" Jason asked, "I saw her about a week ago. The Hunters were in California. We had lunch."

"They sure get around, don't they?"

Jason chuckled. "Guess so."

* * *

Percy sat alone at lunch, but this time, he didn't mind it so much. Jason sat at the Zeus table, also alone. The tables were right next to each other, so if Percy sat at the end of his table, and Jason sat at the end of his, they were close enough to be able to talk to each other.

Camp Half Blood treated Jason pretty much like a normal camper, who happened to be a child of the Big Three, which is to say, pretty much normal, but not quite. His time spent there had earned him the respect of the camp, but, whether he, Percy, liked it or not, Percy was the leader. Percy was the one they looked to when it came to important decisions. Jason seemed perfectly fine with this. Percy figured it was the same for himself at the Roman camp. Percy was still, technically, a praetor, but he was more honorary, than anything. He hadn't been there since Leo had blown it up, and the quest had begun, but he figured things worked similarly enough.

"So, how've you been?" Jason asked carefully.

Percy didn't answer at first. "Things are… better. We're getting there, I guess." Jason nodded and, thankfully, changed the subject.

The rest of lunch was spent talking to Jason about Camp Jupiter, Capture the Flag, and, strangely enough, the brownies Aphros had given Leo after the Shrimpzilla attack. When it was over, Percy left Jason, and went to his cabin. He IMed Sally and told her of his plans to head home in the morning. He wanted to IM Annabeth too, but then, he remembered her mentioning last night, that her dad was taking the family out today, and she wouldn't be home until after dinner, her time. That kind of put a downer on Percy's mood, but he brushed it off, and headed outside. It was time for Chris's sword class, and Percy had promised to help out.

* * *

He met Chris at the entrance to the arena.

"Hey, man. Thanks for coming," Chris greeted Percy with a smile.

"No problem," Percy replied, and followed him inside.

The class was excited to have Percy there again. One camper asked if they could ask more questions after class, but Chris, thank the gods, told him 'no.' Chris began the class by showing the campers a few defensive blocks and parries, demonstrating on Percy. Every few minutes, they traded places. Chris would teach for a few minutes, and would hand it over to Percy for another few. It went back and forth like this the whole time. It worked well, and by the end of the class, everyone was tired and sweaty. Chris dismissed the campers, and turned to Percy.

"Thanks, again, Percy. I actually learned a few things too," he said. Percy smiled.

"No problem, man."

"You know," Chris said, smirking, "You're a pretty good teacher. Maybe you should get a class of your own sometime."

Percy shrugged. "We'll see. Maybe this summer I'll ask Chiron for a class."

"So you are coming back, then?"

Percy looked at Chris strangely. "Of course. I just needed some time…" Chris nodded understandingly.

"Well, hey. For what it's worth, I've missed having you around. So has Clarisse, she just won't admit it," Chris said, smiling. Percy laughed.

"Thanks, man."

* * *

After dinner, Chiron had the campers suit up in armor, and gather in the dining pavilion. "Heroes!" he called to get everyone's attention. "You all know the rules. The flags must be displayed in plain sight, and have no more than two guards each. The entire forest is fair game. The creek is the boundary line. Prisoners may be disarmed, but not bound or gagged. All magic items are allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. No intentional killing or maiming, please. The teams are as follows. Red team: Ares, Hephestus, Zeus, Dionysus, Demeter, Nemesis, Nike, Iris. Blue Team: Athena, Poseidon, Apollo, Hermes, Aphrodite, Hypnos, Hecate, Morpheus. Get ready and good luck!"

As the campers made their way out of the dining pavilion and toward the woods, Percy did a quick scan of those who were on his team. Both teams had good players, and seemed pretty evenly matched. This was going to be a close game.

When the blue team reached their side of the woods, Percy noticed everyone was looking at him expectantly. Even the Athena campers, who normally led the team, were looking to him. It was obvious they wanted him in charge. It had been a long time since Percy had participated in a game of Capture the Flag, over a year, but the campers didn't seem to care.

Percy took a deep breath and began. "Um, okay then. Here's what we're gonna do…" He assigned positions to campers and stationed them in specific places. He set up the best fighters as defense on the ground, and the best archers in the trees. He assigned the fastest runners in offensive positions, and explained his plan, which was to send a diversion to distract the other team, while he and two "bodyguards" went after, to get the flag. Everyone agreed with this plan and took off in different directions, to their assigned places, and the game began.

The fighting was heard almost immediately, but everything seemed to be going according to plan. The first group was sent in, distracting the other team, and a minute later, Percy and two Athena campers took off after the flag.

They burst through the woods, taking down any resistance before reinforcements could be called. They were fighting machines. Finally, they burst into a clearing. In the center, stood the flag and two guards, Clarisse LaRue and Jason Grace.

"Go!" Percy yelled. The Athena fighters took off, planning to fight their way through Clarisse. Percy hoped they were good enough. He'd been on the receiving end of her electric spear a few times, and it was never pleasant. Percy took Jason.

"You're gonna regret this setup, Jackson," Jason told Percy as their swords collided.

Percy scoffed. "You forgot, Jason. You're in my camp now."

The fight was intense. Jason's body crackled with electricity. Water swirled around Percy. Their swords connected with blinding speed. From the corner of his eye, Percy could see an Athena camper go down. The other was heading toward the flag, not paying attention. Percy willed the creek, half a mile away, to explode, knocking Clarisse down with a hundred gallons of water. She flew backward and out of sight, screaming curses at Percy the whole way, but he wasn't listening. His attention was back on Jason. He analyzed his every move, trying to figure out his pattern. Percy made a lucky stab, bringing the golden sword into the perfect position for a certain disarming technique. He went for it, and, surprisingly, it worked. Jason looked stunned for half a second. Not a long time, but enough. Percy willed every drop of the creek to rise, and took Jason out, sending him in the same direction as Clarisse. He didn't stick around to watch. Percy took off to cover the Athena camper, now retreating back to the boundary line with the red team's flag.

Percy took off after him, just as an opposing defensive player ran up from behind him, taking him down. Percy took the opposing camper down before he could do any more damage, but the Athena kid was injured.

"Here!" he yelled to Percy, tossing him the flag, "Go! Go!" Percy didn't argue. He took off toward the creek. He was almost there.

A quarter mile.

An eighth.

500 feet.

400-_BANG!_

Out of nowhere, lightning struck the ground in front of Percy, throwing him fifty feet backward. Jason stood before him, advancing. Percy waited, faking unconsciousness, and when Jason got close enough, _WHOOSH!_ A wall of water, a hundred feet high, took him out again. Percy willed it to carry him up, riding it like a skateboard, and landed a hundred feet from the boundary line. Percy ran. Jason, having recovered better than the first time, swooped in, controlling air currents. Percy could see his team fighting off an opposing teammate, who was running toward her side. The blue team was giving her a run for her money, but she was good…

_No._ Percy thought. This was the capture the flag against the hunters, four years ago, all over again. The fight he and Thalia had had. No. He wasn't losing this time. Percy's sudden anger fueled him. Without even realizing it, he had willed the water to swirl around him again, as he fought Jason, bronze against gold. Percy gave one final _whack_ with the butt of his sword, which bounced off Jason's armor, but the momentum pushed the Roman back a good ten feet. This was it. Percy took off running, full sprint. Jason flew up, but the water around Percy had formed a mini hurricane, and knocked Jason back with every try.

Six feet.

Five feet.

Four.

Three.

Percy crossed over the creek, and into friendly territory, holding the flag high. It changed color, turning sea green, with a trident in the center. Cheering arose from all around him. The blue team lifted him onto their shoulders, and carried him, chanting. "PERCY. PERCY. PERCY." When he'd finally managed to convince them to let him down, Chiron cantered over, grinning hugely, with a strange sparkle in his eye.

"A game well played!" he announced. "Congratulations to the blue team!" He paused, drowned out but the huge amounts of cheering coming from the blue team members. Percy couldn't wipe the smile off his face. "Now, everyone," Chiron continued after the noise died down again, "Curfew is in twenty minutes. To your cabins, please. Well done and good night!"

It took a few minutes before the demigods started to disperse. Percy received so many pats on the back and high fives, he almost couldn't keep up. When he could finally see through the crowds of people, he noticed Jason standing at the edge of the clearing, still dripping wet, but smiling slightly. Percy made his way over to him.

"Hey," Percy said, rubbing his neck nervously, "Sorry about back there." Jason just smiled wider.

"Don't apologize, Jackson, because that _was _incredibly cool. Just watch out next time. "

Percy grinned. "You too, Grace. I don't back down very easily." He held out his hand, and Jason shook it with a smile.

"So I've noticed, but, hey, thanks, you saved me shower," he said with a grin. Percy chuckled and willed Jason dry. The latter looked down at his clothes, then back at Percy. "Thanks."

"No problem."

* * *

So, are you heading out tonight?" Percy asked, once they were back at the camp, standing in front of the hearth fire. Jason shrugged.

"Yeah, probably. Cabin One isn't exactly comfortable, you know?"

"Yeah, Thalia may have mentioned that once or twice."

"Well," Jason said, "It was good seeing you, man. Say hi to Annabeth for me." He whistled into the night.

Percy smiled again. "Will do. Same to Piper."

Jason nodded. "Come visit sometime. I'm sure everyone would like to see you, especially Frank and Hazel," he said.

"Maybe I will. We'll see. Say hi to them for me too."

"Will do," Jason answered, as his storm spirit horse, Tempest, landed next to him. "Well, I'd better get going. It's pretty late. See you later, Percy."

"Bye, Jason. Maybe next time I'll let you win," Percy replied, smirking.

Jason scoffed, "In your dreams, Jackson," he said, before climbing on Tempest, and flying off into the night. Percy watched him fly away in the darkness, smiling and shaking his head, before heading to his cabin for the night. After he had showered and thrown on a pair of sweats and a camp shirt, Percy decided to IM Annabeth. It was about ten at night. That would make it seven in California. She had to be home by now.

"O, Fleecy, do me a solid. Show me Annabeth Chase, San Francisco, California," Percy said, as he tossed a drachma into the salt water spring. The mist shimmered, and Annabeth appeared.

"Hey, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth greeted him. She looked and sounded tired, but Percy knew she dared not sleep. He himself was exhausted, especially after Capture the Flag, but he knew the second his head hit the pillow, he would be back in that place, and the nightmares would overwhelm him.

"Hey, Beautiful," he replied. Annabeth smiled.

They talked the entire night. Percy told her about his day: Jason showing up, helping Chris with his class, Capture the Flag, and everything in between. Annabeth told him about her family outing. Apparently, they'd visited a museum, gone to the park, and gone out for dinner. It sounded like she had genuinely enjoyed herself. Percy loved listening to her. He loved her voice. It was like music to his ears. No matter how bad his day was going, Annabeth always made it better, and, right now, it made a good day even better. Percy and Annabeth talked right into the early morning. Percy watched the sunrise over the Sound through his window. His clock read _7:29._ They had made it through their third, and last, night apart.

* * *

Percy ate his breakfast alone at the Poseidon table, but it wasn't very lonely. The whole time, people were patting him on the back as they walked by, and congratulating him on his Capture the Flag victory. Honestly, Percy hated the attention. Was it not bad enough that he'd saved Olympus twice and survived Tartarus, making him a superstar to younger campers? He couldn't just play Capture the Flag like a normal camper, without it attracting attention. Okay, so maybe he had saved the game last night, and maybe the old Percy would have liked the attention, but not now. Now, Percy would give almost anything to just blend in. He was tired of the stares. He just wanted to be normal again.

After breakfast, Percy said goodbye. He tracked down the few friends who were there. Leo, Chris, Grover, Juniper, even Clarisse, but that was really only because she was with Chris when he'd went to say goodbye. Everyone told him to say hello to Annabeth for them, and hugs and handshakes were exchanged.

Percy walked to his cabin, which was extremely clean, considering he was the one who'd been staying in it. Okay, it was spotless. Percy grabbed his backpack, which he had packed his things in before breakfast, and took one last look around, throwing on a hoodie over his camp T-shirt. As warm as the magical borders kept it inside, in the mortal world, it was almost December, and it was pretty cold. He smiled at the memories the place held. _I'll be back._ Percy thought, and he had no doubt that he would. And next time, Annabeth would be there too.

Percy stopped in front of the Big House. He found Chiron on the back porch, staring out at the Long Island Sound. The centaur turned around at Percy's arrival.

"Hello, Percy," he greeted his student.

"Hi, Chiron," Percy replied.

"I take it you'll be going home this morning," Chiron said, eyeing the backpack slung on Percy's shoulder.

"Yeah. Annabeth's coming home tonight and…" Percy trailed off.

"And you need to sleep tonight," Chiron finished, "And you can't do that without her." Percy felt himself blush a little. He'd forgotten just how observant Chiron was.

"Uh, yeah," Percy answered, staring at the floor.

"My boy, before you go, I just want you to know that you have exceeded my every expectation of you. You are a true hero, Percy. Know that." Percy just nodded, looking up from the deck below him to look at his teacher.

"Thanks, Chiron."

"And Percy, know you are always welcome here. I understand things are different now, but, if you are willing, I'd love to have you here for the summer session."

Percy blinked. "I'll be here, Chiron. Absolutely." The centaur smiled warmly.

"Well in that case, I spoke to Chris Rodriguez yesterday evening. It is his wish for you to take over his sword class during the summer session, if you wish."

Percy was dumbfounded, but made his decision rather quickly. He smiled slightly. "Yeah, sure Chiron. I'll do it." Chiron smiled broadly.

"Very good, Percy. Then, I will send you off. Do you need a ride? Argus can drive you into the city."

"No thanks. I was just gonna have Blackjack take me, if it's okay with you."

"Of course. The Pegasus is practically yours, anyway."

"Chiron," Percy said, "Thanks. For everything." The centaur's smile returned.

"You are very welcome, Percy. Send my regards to Annabeth, would you?"

"I will. Bye, Chiron. Thanks again."

"Goodbye, my boy." Percy smiled at his teacher one more time, before retreating back to the front of the Big House and down the steps. As he made his way over to the stables, Percy couldn't help but feel at home. As messed up as things had been lately, and as weird as things still were there, Camp Half-Blood was Percy's home, just as much as his apartment in Manhattan was home. Yes, he would be back, no doubt about it, and, in the mean time, things would only get better. For him and Annabeth both.

Percy entered the stable, and walked to Blackjack's stall. _Yo, Boss!_ the Pegasus greeted him, _Got any sugar cubes for me?_ Percy smiled, shaking his head in amusement, but pulled some out of his sweatshirt pocket. Some things never change.

"Hey, Blackjack. I need a ride."

_Where to, Boss?_

"My apartment, take me home."

* * *

**Done! What did you think? Please review. Let me know!  
**

**This is a two- shot, so this story is finished. It is kind of an excerpt from another story of mine called Long Road Ahead, which is about Percy and Annabeth's road to recovery after Tartarus, so, if you haven't already, go check it out!  
**

**Thanks!**


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